Where in Winter Park? (Orlando: zoned, lease, houses)

[2martins]

I have selected Winter Park as the general area where I want to live while I am in the Orlando area, but now I have to decide between 2 areas within Winter Park.

One is up north near the glen haven cemetary, the other is further south just north of Glenridge Way near blue jacket park.

The one up north is zoned for dommerich and the one further south is zoned for brookshire. I probably won't use the public school system, but I want to know what the pros and cons of each are just in case. Is one better for gifted students than the other?

the police dept. tell me the area up north is a little "quieter" in terms of "activity" than the area further south, but it's still 80% crimes of opportunity which are considered preventable- things like unlocked cars and houses.

the one in the south would mean less driving according to mapquest, but there is construction going on nearby which may make that worse?

any advice?

[GregTraub]

Well, from the sounds of it you've done the research and I'm sure you know which way you are leaning. I actually have a listing in the Glen Haven Area right off sunset, and that area is very desireable and I would agree is very quiet as only people that live in that area ever drive there.

The brookshire area you mentioned is also a really great area, but for some reason you can get a little more for your $ there vs the northern area. Could be the amount of brick streets in the Northern area and the fact that there have been more knockdown/new construction there than in the brookshire area. I have family that live in Brookshire Heights that have lived there for decades, they can't think of another area they would rather live so I can't say anything bad about that area, except the further east you go toward 436 the less desireable it becomes. If you stick close to Lakemont Eastward, and West of Lakemont you will find the nicest homes of Winter Park, IMO.

It really is a toss up between the two, and I'd simply choose based on the specific houses you can find in your price range in each of the area's. Where you looking to rent or purchase though?

[2martins]

I am renting because I am not staying in Winter Park long-term. Hopefully I will be able to come home in a year or so. I may sign a lease tomorrow, so I was really hoping someone would weigh in and let me know if there was something about one school or the other or one area or the other that made a big difference.

thanks. if anyone else has any opinions, please let them fly ASAP!

[jaimeblt]

I went to both Dommerich and Brookshire, and although that was a long time ago, they were both two of the best elementary schools in the region. I appreciated the gifted program at Dommerich. I have no experience with Brookshire's gifted program. I would advise you to see how crowded the schools are currently.

As a note, some of the streets south of the Glen Haven Cemetery are used as cut-through streets to get from Temple to Lakemont.

I am not sure why there would be a significant price difference, although I don't know the area near Blue Jacket Park too well. I'm guessing it's because the northern area is closer to the Vias, and (to quote the realtor in this thread) has pretty brick streets and nice, newer houses.